European university ranking system launched

A global university ranking system set up with €2 million in funding from the European Union was launched today (13 May).

The ranking – called U-Multirank – was developed by academics and compares data on 879 universities, 10,000 faculties and 5,000 study programmes (of which 60% are European).

The online tool aims at making it easier for students to compare universities, faculties and programmes in five areas: research, teaching and learning, international orientation, knowledge transfer, and regional engagement.

“Whereas existing rankings provide less extensive league tables, we provide a personalised list,” said Frans van Vught, a researcher with the Center for Higher Education Policy Studies (CHEPS). “Students have different views of what is interesting. In the current rankings diversity this is not shown in a right way. It does not make sense to compare Harvard with art studies in Paris in a general way, this can only be done through the different criteria,” he said.

Students can use the tool to determine how many people complete their studies on time and how often researchers’ publications get quoted.

Androulla Vassiliou, the European commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, said: “U-Multirank will enable students to make more informed decisions about where to study and give us a more accurate picture of how universities perform.”

She said that this is in line with the Commission’s strategy for sustainable growth. “We need to know how well universities perform across different fields in order for students to plan their future better,” she said.

The ranking is the largest in the world, comparing universities, faculties and study programmes in 70 countries. The data is gathered via global databases, provided by the universities, and student questionnaires.